Rescuing Rapunzel
by NikkyPickles
Summary: An alternative ending, extending the adventure.
1. Prologue

**A/N – I got inspired to write this about four hours after posting my last fanfic. I really want to write this one – it'll be my first multi-chapter submission. Reviews, as ever, are appreciated.**

**This is an alternative ending to the movie – extending the adventure.**

Prologue

Fate, destiny, a horse: two out of these three were determined to see that today was the day he died. True, an hour ago the horse (and friends) had changed the fates' plan to see Eugene swinging from a rope.

But Max could do nothing about an eight inch dagger thrust into his side with evil hatred, shredding his liver and leaving him bleeding out on the floor. Rapunzel was going to try though.

Slipping in and out of consciousness, Eugene heard her plea and promise to Gothel, despite his gasped protests. He felt Gothel fasten the shackles around his wrist – one way or another he would die in chains – and then Rapunzel's presence beside him, cradling his head, so gently.

He had no strength left to fend off her determined efforts to save him, even though he would rather give his life for her freedom. He felt the darkness consume him briefly before brilliant golden light brought him back.

"Rapunzel, no," he whispered to her, blinking back the tears. He pulled himself up in to a sitting position and gently ran his fingers down her cheek. Eugene pulled Rapunzel into a tight embrace, never wanting to let her go.

"Rapunzel, time to go," said Gothel in a cold voice. Rapunzel pulled back, but Eugene followed her to plant a soft kiss on her lips – their first, and now their last. Then Rapunzel did the hardest thing she had ever needed to do; she turned and walked away from Eugene without looking back.

"Rapunzel!" Eugene cried. "Rapunzel!"

But she had gone.


	2. Out of the Tower

**A/N – Hey, waddayaknow, you get a two-fer. I'm submitting the prologue and Chapter one without waiting for reviews, just so you have something to really get your teeth into before providing feedback.**

Chapter One

Eugene pulled hard against the chain, but it was sturdy and the shackles were fastened to tightly for him to extract his hand any other way. He needed a key, or a lock pick, or even a chisel. He was out of breath and losing his voice from crying Rapunzel's name, but she hadn't even turned as she had been forced down the ladder to the base of the tower.

He rested his head in his hands. He had to do something, before his dream was lost forever.

Maximus had waited at the bottom of the tower, watching Eugene climb the mass of hair and disappear through the window. Then he had heard the scream, the sound of fighting, and the song – so beautiful. He saw movement at the base of the tower, but by the time he had trotted over, whatever it was had disappeared into the bushes. Max caught the scent of flowers and was about to follow it, when he heard Eugene's frantic shouting.

There was a small opening at the base of the tower, too small for the horse to get through. Max turned and _kicked_ hard against the stones. He _kicked_ again, until enough of the stone fell away for him to force his way in. He stomped anxiously round, looking for a way up. There was a ladder; no use. Ah-ha, some ruined stairs ran up one wall. Too dangerous to use properly, but Maximus gambled that it would be of a sufficient single use to get him where he needed to go. Bounding up the stairs several at a time, his hooves occasionally breaking the fragile, rotten wooden boards, he made it to the room where Eugene was sitting, frantically trying to free himself.

Eugene was stunned. Have you ever seen a horse climb a flight of stairs? Have you ever tried to get said horse back _down_ those stairs? Eugene shook his head to clear that thought; it was hardly his first concern.

"Max, I need to get out of these chains," he said, urgently. "Can you find me something to break them or pick the lock?"

The horse looked at him for a fraction of a second, before trotting from room to room in search of something to help. When he reached Rapunzel's old bedroom his eyes widened.

Before Gothel had implemented her plan to permanently remove Rapunzel after her explosive outburst, the girl had had time to add a few details to one of her paintings. Highlighting the edges of one of the more noticeable royal emblems on her mural, she had sketched a small image of herself wearing the stolen crown, flanked on either side by the king and queen. It was an updated image of the famous mosaic in the centre of the kingdom. Maximus had a revelation.

Eugene looked up, a little startled, when Max burst back through into the main room.

"Well? Did you find something?" he asked. Max stomped and mimed, but Eugene just shook his head in confusion. Frustrated, Max bit into Eugene's boot, dragging the shackled man the length of the chain until he was just able to poke his head into Rapunzel's bedroom. There, the horse resumed his manic gesturing.

"I don't get it," said Eugene. "How is this helping? Are you telling me Rapunzel is the lost princess?"

He'd meant it as a rhetorical question; a ridiculous surmising of a horse on too many sugar cubes, but when Max whinnied and nodded, Eugene was stunned.

"Rapunzel is the lost princess," he said again in a dull, flat voice. "Rapunzel... is the lost... princess." He gave a heavy sigh, all the breath leaving him at once. "Well, then we definitely need to get her back! There! That hair slide will do!"

It took him several minutes, but finally he was free. And now his mind raced. Rapunzel was royalty. That killed his dream nicely – even if he got her back, he was still a common thief with a price on his head; they could never be together... There he went again, rushing several problems ahead of the most immediate concern.

Gothel had planned on taking a prisoner, not a free participant, and so hadn't packed more than a few essentials. Most of Rapunzel's homemade clothes and paints were still strewn around the place.

Eugene ripped off the bedding and took several dresses from the closet. He knotted them all together and then threw the resulting rope from the window. It was just long enough. Now, if he just had a harness and maybe two or three strong friends, he could actually lower Max down the side of the tower.

Max had other ideas. He dragged the mattress from the bed, and in a move that Eugene privately considered suicidal, _surfed_ down the remaining stair structure. Eugene watched, open mouthed, as the horse reached the bottom, relatively unscathed, and disappeared through the hole in the wall.

"That was... different," he mumbled, swinging his legs over the window ledge and beginning his own descent.

As he reached the base of the tower he noticed Max sniffing the ground, trying to pick up the unique flowery scent he had noticed before. For possibly the first time, as he swung himself onto the horse's back, Eugene was pleased his companion was more canine than equine.

"Let's go."

**A/N – There might be a slight delay providing the next chapter. Feedback will help move the story along!**


	3. Rapunzel's Tears

**A/N – This story's kind of got away from me a little. So, one quick chapter about what happened to Rapunzel because it was bothering me. Be warned – it's a bit of a downer. Next update should be in a day or two when I'm over this rotten cold!**

Chapter Two – Rapunzel's Tears

She had nothing. Just the clothes she stood up in, with Pascal camouflaged in the folds of her skirt, and the purple flag, hidden in her bodice. Her books, all three of them, other clothes and all her paints had been left behind. Gothel carried a small bundle of mostly food, a blanket and the all important hair brush. It had been a hurried departure, and the pace being set through the bushes was relentless.

The twigs whipped at their legs and the stones cut into her feet, but Rapunzel knew better than to complain. She had promised to stay with Gothel forever, and she would never break that promise, even if it had broken her heart to do so. She couldn't even allow herself to think of Eugene, for fear that the emotion would just overwhelm and drown her.

After a full day's travelling, they had crossed into the neighbouring kingdom of Girasol. Skirting round the outer edges, Gothel found an abandoned cottage and decided that, at least for the night, this would provide shelter for them.

Gothel laid the blanket on the floor for them to sleep on and undid her cloak to act as cover. Then she held up the hair brush. Rapunzel closed her eyes and gave a little sigh. Then, her voice cracking slightly, she sang.

"Good girl," said Gothel. "Now, go to sleep."

Rapunzel lay down and wrapped her hair around herself. She was dimly aware of Gothel moving around her feet, and felt a tug on her ankle. Gothel wasn't taking any chances, even with her promise and had tied her ankle to the remains of a heavy oak table.

Pascal snuggled into the crook of Rapunzel's arm, patting her cheek as the tears fell silently. She pulled out the purple flag and gazed at it by the moonlight streaming in through the broken window. At last she allowed herself to think back to that morning, when she had held Eugene in her arms. She had come too close to losing him, but the magic had healed him and he was alive. At least she had that knowledge. That, and the kiss.

"It'll be okay," she whispered to Pascal, but she wasn't sure if she was convincing the chameleon or herself.

"Stop mumbling," said Gothel in a sleepy voice. Rapunzel bit back an angry response, drawing her knees up to her chest. When she finally managed to fall asleep, it was a fitful, dreamless slumber.

Shortly after dawn, Rapunzel awoke feeling sore and cold from a night on the floor. The tether around her ankle limited her movement, so she couldn't even walk into what could have been the kitchen to get some food. Which was too bad, because her stomach was starting to rumble.

"Think you could find me something to eat, Pascal?" she whispered. The chameleon gave a little squeak and scurried away, returning mere moments later dragging a red apple by its core. Rapunzel managed a watery smile and polished the apple on the skirt of her dress.

The apple tasted sweet and the juice ran down her chin. She wiped her face with the back of her hand. Gothel stirred at the sound of crunching and Rapunzel guiltily hid the core behind her back. To her surprise Gothel didn't say a word about the food. Instead she stood straight and smoothed down her clothes.

"Well, I got _my_ beauty sleep," she said, with a harsh little laugh. "Straighten your dress, you look untidy."

Gothel wasn't about to let Rapunzel out of her sight for any reason. She untied the girl's ankle and then they both walked to the local market to buy provisions. Rapunzel walked beside her Mother obediently and silently, head bowed. The citizens didn't take much notice of the newcomers; which in fact depressed Rapunzel even further. There was no life to this kingdom, no music, no colour, no interest. The perfect place for Gothel to keep her.

On their return to the cottage, Gothel handed Rapunzel a length of cloth.

"Keep yourself busy, Rapunzel," she said, her tone not unkind. "New home, new clothes. I have to look my best."

Rapunzel did as she was told. It was easier that way.


	4. Of Fishes and Falling

**A/N – I cannot stress how thrilled I am that people are reading my work, reviewing it and LIKING it! A thousand hugs and a million times love back at you. You will never know how much I appreciate being read. I wish I could keep writing forever.**

**You may notice some temporal dissonance in the two threads – trust me it'll all come together in the end.**

Chapter Three – Of Fishes and Falling

"No," said Eugene, in disbelief. "No, no, no, no, no! You cannot have lost the trail!"

Maximus shrugged; an impressive gesture for a horse. They had reached a bay and the scent had gone cold. Eugene leapt from the saddle and ran to the water's edge, desperately looking for any sign that Rapunzel and Gothel had crossed the expanse. He couldn't even see the other side.

"Okay, okay," Eugene said. "We just need a boat."

An idea struck him. While Max had been concentrating on sniffing out the path and galloping through the woods, Eugene had taken the opportunity to look for visual clues and he had spotted the signs of a fishing village only a mile or two back down the path. He climbed back into the saddle and guided the horse in the new direction. A fishing village would surely have a boat they could borrow.

They trotted through the village gates and Eugene dismounted.

"Excuse me, good sir," he began, walking up to what he took to be an important village elder. He was ignored completely. Surprised, but not discouraged, Eugene tried again, approaching a group of young men discussing the previous night's catch. A small girl ran among their legs, chasing a duck.

"Gentlemen!" Eugene said, a huge smile forced onto his face. "I have a proposition for you!"

Once again he received barely a look from the fishermen. Now thoroughly disheartened, Eugene walked back to Maximus and was rewarded by a sharp kick from the horse's front hoof for giving up.

"You want to have a go?" Eugene said, rubbing his leg where Max had made contact. "Fine, be my guest."

He folded his arms and leaned against the wall of a nearby building to watch the horse crash and burn. He was to be disappointed. Maximus trotted up to the group and nuzzled his head into the small girl's back. The girl turned, amazed and excited by the horse's attention.

"Papa, look!" she said, tugging the tunic hem of a tall bearded man. "Horsey!"

Max upped his game, nodded and playfully head-butted the father, before looking towards the village dock where several boats were moored. The man frowned, a little puzzled.

"Can I give him an apple, papa?" asked the girl. She tried to lead Max towards a market stall, and for a brief moment Max was torn between his stomach and his mission. He turned and pointed his nose back towards the dock.

"You know, if I didn't know better, I'd think that horse wants a boat not an apple," said the girl's father.

"I don't believe this!" Eugene spluttered.

Max nodded at the man, swishing his tail and started trotting towards the dock, moving in a circular motion that herded the fishermen in the same direction.

"He _does_ want a boat," said one of the other fishermen.

Eugene ran to catch up with the horse, getting between Max and the fishermen. At least he could capitalise on their attention.

"Hi, remember me?" he panted. They started to turn away, but then Eugene begged: "Please, we need your help."

"Can I ride the horsey?" the small girl pushed her way to the front of the group. Eugene was about to dismiss the request, but he realised he needed to keep these people on his side. Hiding his impatience, Eugene helped the girl into the saddle, and Max resumed his circular trotting, while Eugene briefly explained their situation, and their desperate desire for a boat to rescue the lost princess. The fishermen, far from being enthusiastic to help, were apathetic at best, but the look of utter despair on Eugene's face was too much for the girl, who pulled Max to a halt.

"A princess, papa," she said, in a small, determined voice, "needs her prince charming."

The father smiled, unable to refuse his daughter. Lifting the little girl down from the saddle, he turned to Eugene and shook the young man's hand.

"You, sir, have yourself a boat."

Eugene was speechless with gratitude.

Twenty minutes later, they had set sail to cross the bay. The boat captain, the little girl's father, told Eugene that he had seen a small craft earlier that day, but since small crafts were common, he hadn't taken much notice. Due to the nature of the currents, he went on to explain, they would be docking about half a mile further down the bank than Gothel's likely landing point.

With time to kill, Eugene sat down to plan his next move. Rapunzel had been missing for almost a whole day; it would be twilight when the fishing boat arrived at the opposite bank. They would need to rest, particularly Maximus who was getting seasick.

The little girl, who had leapt at the opportunity to go for a trip with her father, wandered over to Eugene, breaking his reverie.

"Is he your horsey?" she asked, shyly.

"He... uh... belongs to a friend of mine," said Eugene. Technically correct, since as a Royal Guard Horse Maximus belonged to the Royal Household, which now included Rapunzel. At least it would if he could ever find her and return her home.

"He's very nice," said the girl. "My name's Lys. I can fish. With a fishing rod. Shall I show you?"

Eugene blinked, then nodded, dumbly. He wasn't used to dealing with such a short attention span. Correction – he _hadn't_ been used to it until he met Rapunzel, who had flitted from one new experience and emotion to another faster than a hummingbird. He missed that. He missed her.

Lys proudly showed off her skill with a line, and Eugene was genuinely impressed when she presented him with a golden trout. It was possibly the most eventful part of the voyage.

The sun had just finished setting when Eugene and Max disembarked. Max was still green around the flanks and stomped on the solid ground gratefully. Eugene waved goodbye to Lys and watched the boat disappear back across the water.

Eugene could usually navigate by moonlight, which was good as Max was still out of commission with the hunt. They needed to find a village, or town to rest for the night. A better idea of local geography would also give them the best chance of finding Rapunzel. The easiest way to do this would be to find higher ground.

As it turned out, this was not a good idea. Reaching the top of an incline, Max lost his balance, stumbled into Eugene, and sent them both over the edge of an escarpment, into the pitch blank of the unknown night.

**Reviews help me shape the story and write faster!**


	5. Broken

**A/N: I got a little distracted just before posting the last chapter, reading one of the SADDEST Tangled chapters ever! It was the perfect inspiration for this next, very unhappy (short) chapter...**

Chapter Four - Broken

The new clothes were not as fine as their old dresses. Without her mannequin, Rapunzel had done the best she could, despite Gothel complaining that her sewing was taking too long. Gothel had demanded the first dress, and she barely had enough time and material left for her own dress. There was no question of _not_ replacing her clothes – as Gothel burned the lilac dress, as soon as the new one was finished. The new material was heavier wool, in deep green and brown. It was itchy and her dress was shapeless and uncomfortable.

Yet Rapunzel never said a word. That night, as the tears fell, she held Eugene's flag to her heart and reminded herself that he was alive and well and free; that was all that mattered.

It was time to make another journey to the market. Gothel wasn't about to buy more than one day's supply at a time, in case they had to move on again at speed. Rapunzel walked beside Gothel; the obedient daughter. And when the market holder carelessly dropped one of the apples he was packing into a bag, Gothel waved away his apology and turned to the girl, raising one eyebrow. Rapunzel bent to fetch the fallen fruit.

Back at the cottage, Gothel fixed their main meal. No more hazelnut soup, only simple essential fare. They ate in silence. The food was tasteless, and there wasn't much, but Rapunzel had no appetite.

"Eat up, Rapunzel," Gothel chided. "I cooked this for you."

It took an hour, but Gothel watched until Rapunzel ate every bite. Then she produced the hairbrush. Her voice unused since the previous day's song, Rapunzel was a little hoarse to start will. Gothel merely handed her a mug of water and began to brush.

The ritual complete, Gothel busied herself tidying the cottage, making it more homely. Rapunzel sat on the floor, staring at nothing. Pascal dodged around, so as not to be swept away by Gothel's cleaning.

And finally the sun went down. Rapunzel curled up, and reached for the flag. Her hand stopped. Where was it? The flag had gone! She looked at Pascal, who shrugged, wide eyes mirroring her own panic. It was all she had, her one last link to Eugene, and now she'd lost it.

Rapunzel hugged her knees and sobbed unashamedly.

"Oh, stop that noise, Rapunzel," Gothel snapped. Rapunzel sniffed, wiped her face on the itchy sleeve and took several gulping breaths. She stared out of the window, and Pascal scurried into a corner, afraid. All the sunshine and life had left Rapunzel's eyes. Even her hair seemed a duller colour. She was hollow and empty; dead inside.


	6. Objets Trouvés

**A/N - Okay, so the temporal dissonance has caught up with me, so I apologise if this chapter seems to be a bit rambling. The next one will be better!**

Chapter Five - Objets Trouvés

It was dark. Pitch black. Was he dead? Again? No, because in death he couldn't feel anything, and he was fairly certain he could feel branches scratching his legs and a clumsy horse coming very close to rolling on top of him.

"Get off!" Eugene shoved hard against Max's rump, forcing the horse to move.

It hadn't been a long fall, barely more than fifteen feet. They'd been lucky. But now they were most definitely lost. Max whinnied and snorted. Eugene nodded – could it be he was actually starting to _understand_ the horse?

"I know," he said, with a heavy sigh. "We aren't going anywhere until morning."

So, as soon as the sun rose, Eugene stretched and yawned and ached. Rubbing his hand through his hair, he sat up and surveyed their surroundings. Then he gave Max a nudge. The horse didn't move, so Eugene shoved harder.

"Wake up, you lazy beast!" he said. "I think we're in luck!"

He nodded in the direction of a clump of trees. On the other side of the trees, a spire of smoke curled into the sky. Signs of civilisation. And food. Eugene was starving. He realised he hadn't actually eaten anything, other than the poached trout, cooked aboard the fishing boat, since the day before yesterday. Max, nibbling at a nearby bush in search of edible berries, apparently agreed.

By unspoken agreement they set off at towards the smoke.

The best Eugene had hoped for was a village, or even just a small cottage. His eyes widened when Max trotted through the gates of a kingdom, shortly after noon. In size it almost rivalled Corona, but was far shabbier. The faded words etched over the gate read 'Girasol'. Eugene had never heard of it, having never needed to run this far south, over the bay.

Eugene didn't even bother to try asking, leaving it up to Max to attract the attention of a nearby housewife, before stepping in to use his charms to negotiate a meal. She grudgingly allowed them some porridge and a place to rest, while Eugene gave serious thought to his next move.

"Do you get many visitors to the kingdom?" he asked politely. The woman glared at him.

"No," she said, shortly.

Eugene didn't bother asking further. Maybe he could find more information if they went closer to the centre of the kingdom.

Thanking the woman, Eugene led Maximus towards the sounds of a crowd. A market was just closing up its stalls. Not everyone here appeared to be as rude and hostile as the housewife, and Eugene was able to chat to a number of stall holders, learning very little.

"This is hopeless, Max," he said, leading the horse to an empty patch of land, previously housing cattle for sale. "The market sees different people every day. But no-one's seen a girl with long golden hair – you'd think that would stand out!"

Max harrumphed and nuzzled his head against Eugene's shoulder. Eugene rubbed the horse's nose.

"I just don't know what to do next," he sighed.

"Hey," said a voice. Looking round, they saw a young man, one of the stall holders, waving at them. "I think I might be able to help you."

Eugene jumped to his feet and ran over.

"Tell me!" he said, urgency evident in his voice.

"You're looking for a girl, right?" said the young man. "I don't think I can help there. But I did see something new in the crowd today."

"I thought you saw new people all the time," Eugene asked, puzzled.

"This was a different kind of new," said the young man. "Well, new clothes really. We don't have rich colours here, you might have noticed. Everything is a variation on brown. So a deep rich burgundy red dress? That's new."

Burgundy red? Gothel wore those colours. Eugene's hope returned in a flood.

"Where did she go?" he asked.

"I didn't see," the young man admitted. "But she did say she was going to return tomorrow, for more provisions."

"Then she can't be far away!" Eugene realised. "Thank you! Thank you, so much! Come on Max!"

Max was caught up in Eugene's enthusiasm, and began sniffing the ground again, hoping for some residual scent. It was getting dark, they were running out of daylight and they were looking for somewhere isolated – Gothel would be keeping her secret. But once again they were frustrated.

"It's okay, Max," said Eugene, as they finished their circuit of the kingdom. "If she's coming back tomorrow, we'll catch her then. Unless she's outside the kingdom walls? Oh, but that would take all day. Okay, we'll try that in the morning."

They found shelter in a stable, and let sleep claim them until the sun rose.

They decided to begin their search on the outside of the kingdom walls, since the market wasn't due to start for some time. But by the time they returned to the centre, the market was in full swing, and Eugene's heart sank at the thought they might have missed their sighting.

Then Max caught a scent. He snuffled over to an apple stall. Eugene tried to pull him away, stupid horse thinking with his stomach again, but then Max raised his head and Eugene saw the royal purple of a very familiar flag. He snatched it from Max's mouth and gripped it tightly.

Now he knew that Rapunzel had been here. She was close. He had nearly found her.


	7. Bad Bandits

**A/N – I wasn't going to make this story so long, but your reviews have inspired me to crowbar an extra chapter in. Hope you enjoy it! Keep reviewing, please**

Chapter Six – Bad Bandits

Max had no chance of sniffing out the Rapunzel's scent in the marketplace, there were just too many other smells. Not least of which were apples. Eugene bought a punnet of the crunchy red fruit as a reward for finding their first real clue.

Quizzing the stall holder, he was only slightly concerned that the burgundy red dress was no more. Gothel was doing her best to blend into her new surroundings; and was arguably doing a better job than Pascal ever managed.

Since they had only managed half the outer wall before deciding to return to the market, Eugene decided that it would be prudent to start the other half. Max agreed and set off at a gallop.

They were only a few hundred feet outside the far wall when Max indicated the path diverging into two. Eugene waited to see if the horse's instinct was going to choose for them, but when it appeared Max was as undecided as he was, Eugene shrugged. For the sake of picking a direction, he guided Max down the right hand path.

In retrospect, not a good choice.

* * *

Gothel didn't notice the change in Rapunzel at first. The girl had been sullen and silent ever since leaving the tower, but now she was a shell of her former self, even simple acts such as dressing seemed to take an age.

"I'm not getting any younger, Rapunzel!" Gothel scolded, as the girl spent far too long lacing up the front of her wool dress. Rapunzel didn't look up, keeping her eyes fixed on the floor. Pascal was still hiding in a corner, unsure whether to be more afraid of his mistress, or the hag.

Now Gothel was annoyed.

"Just leave it!" she snapped. "If we don't leave now there won't be any bread left at the market."

She practically dragged the girl out of the cottage, but Rapunzel was unresisting. Pascal almost missed his rides on Rapunzel's dress and had to grip tightly, so he wasn't thrown clear.

At the market Gothel was not used to the stall holders making conversation, but she couldn't help overhearing the idle chatter between two of the market patrons. Her interest was aroused by one word in particular.

"Bandits!" one woman said, in the excited half-whisper of one sharing an illicit secret.

"No!" her fellow gossip gasped. "Where?"

"I heard they were setting up camp in the eastern woods," said the first woman. "Can you imagine? The gall of being so close to the kingdom walls!"

"We're not safe in our own homes!" the second woman gave a little shriek. Gothel glared at her, but deep inside she was very concerned. Those bandits were too close to the cottage for comfort. What if they discovered Rapunzel? She was a treasure no bandit could resist.

Hurriedly finishing her purchase, Gothel took hold of Rapunzel's wrist, a little harder than she meant to, and almost ran back to the cottage. They would have to move, fast. Neither of them noticed a very disgruntled and slightly concussed chameleon bounce out of Rapunzel's dress and under the stall.

It took Pascal several seconds to free himself from the various boxes of produce and scurry after the two women.

Gothel pushed Rapunzel ahead of her, through the cottage door. She had to get her inside, where it was safe, but she also didn't want the girl to see how haggard she was sure she looked. She certainly felt haggard. She was so unexpectedly weakened.

"Time to sing, Rapunzel," she wheezed, fetching the hair brush.

* * *

Eugene and Max travelled through the night, and shortly after the sun rose, the exhausted pair closed in on signs of life. Eugene's eyes widened. He hadn't found Rapunzel; he had stumbled on to the bandits' camp.

"Easy," he whispered to Max as the horse tried to back up, to avoid waking the sleeping thugs. They looked every bit as mean and nasty as the Stabbington Brothers. Eugene knew better than to judge by appearances, but there was no disguising the dangerous and deadly looking weapons within arm's reach.

Eugene was hardly daring to breathe. Then he stopped altogether. Max had trodden on a twig, breaking it with a snap that echoed around the woods. They froze.

The bandits moved with unnatural speed, at least three of them had weapons in their hands before they'd even opened their eyes. Seven very sharp blades hovered a hair's breadth from Eugene's throat.

"Who are you and what do you want?" demanded one, the leader, in a gruff voice.

"Were you guys _going_ for imposing?" Eugene quipped, nervousness forcing a humorous, if somewhat misplaced, reaction on the situation. "Because I'll be honest, I find you imposing."

"Who are you and what do you want?" the leader repeated, louder and more menacingly.

"Hi," said Eugene. "I think we're lost. We're lost, Max."

He blinked slowly, desperate not to swallow too hard to avoid being nicked by one of the swords. When they showed no sign of being removed, he had to resort to honesty.

"We're looking for someone," he admitted. "A girl. She..."

But at the mention of a girl, the swords dropped, and the bandits leered.

"We could look for a girl," said one. Eugene felt his blood rise. He knew those looks, that laugh. Rapunzel was never going anywhere _near_ these ruffians.

"Well, I can see she's clearly not here," said Eugene, urging Max to continue backing away. "So, we'll just be off to look for her elsewhere."

"I don't think so," said the bandit leader, raising his sword again. "Down you get, _hero_."

Eugene dismounted. Max immediately took the opportunity to bolt back into the woods, before any of the bandits could react.

"Thank you so much!" Eugene yelled after the horse. "Traitor!"

Max ran and ran, back towards the kingdom walls, skidding to a halt as he returned to the path's divergence. Something had caught his eye. Something small, currently green, and very annoyed.

Pascal turned several shades of rainbow in relief.

**A/N – OK, own up. Who spotted my sneaky little shout out?**


	8. Save What Has Been Lost

**A/N - I admit this one felt a little garbled. I suddenly found myself trying to tie several loose ends together. I hope it's all worked out...**

Chapter Seven - Save what has been lost

Rapunzel sang, and Gothel was too busy brushing to notice that the hair, instead of glowing golden, was shining an ethereal silver-white.

Only once the song had finished, did Gothel look down and see her hands, far from looking young and beautiful, still had liver spots and wrinkles. She ran to the mirror. Her own hair was dark, but there was a definite streak of grey showing.

"S..sing again," she demanded, horrified that the magic wasn't working the way it should. Rapunzel sang the lilting melody again, and once more the hair was glowed silver.

Gothel checked the mirror and back of her hands again. That was better, but she still felt drained; she had no energy. For the first time since leaving the tower she really looked at Rapunzel, and was genuinely concerned. The magic was losing its potency; could it be directly connected to Rapunzel's health and happiness? Gothel had to do something. She was scared that Rapunzel might actually be dying.

"I think you need paints," she announced, with forced cheerfulness. Rapunzel didn't look up. "Yes, a mural is just what this place needs. You stay here and pick the perfect place; I won't be long."

It was a sign of her worry that she was leaving Rapunzel alone, and leaving her untethered. But Rapunzel's heart and mind were too empty to notice.

* * *

Pascal and Maximus communicated quickly, and silently, conveying more through expression, body language and rapid colour changes than two humans could say in a thousand words. With Pascal perched between his ears, Maximus turned back towards the bandit camp and set off again at a gallop, only to skid to an immediate halt when they heard the sound of movement coming down the other path. Maximus dived behind a bush, peering out to see Gothel hurrying towards the kingdom walls.

She was frantically staring into every shadow, jumping at every rustle. Those trees looked like the royal guards; those shadows like pikes and halberds. Streaks of grey were appearing in her hair at every turn of her head.

Maximus and Pascal exchanged glances. Gothel hadn't noticed them; and she seemed to be getting _older_? Rapunzel wasn't going anywhere and Eugene could take care of himself, probably, so they took a gamble, and went after the aging woman, who had quite failed to notice she had left the main path.

* * *

Eugene was surrounded and, to his slight surprise at this point, still alive.

"Ok, guys," he said, in forced joviality and an attempt at charm, "I really need to find my horse, and..."

"We want the girl," said the bandit leader, stepping smartly into Eugene's path.

"Ah... no," said Eugene with finality.

The bandit walked smoothly to Eugene's side and slung an arm heavily around the young man's shoulder.

"Ah... yes," he growled. "You didn't think we'd be letting to leave to go find her on your own, did you?"

"Well, I was sort of hoping..." Eugene began. He sighed. Probably the only way he'd get out of the camp alive was to agree to their demands. He could always give them the slip later. Hey, he was practically an expert at double-crossing his accomplices. That didn't sound something to be proud of any more.

"Fine," he grumbled.

* * *

Rapunzel didn't move for nearly half an hour after Gothel left. Finally she stood up, almost in a trance, and walked into the kitchen area. There was an apple on the table. It was red and shiny, and Rapunzel stared at it for several seconds.

She took a bite. It was crisp and crunchy and the juice ran down her chin. For several seconds, Rapunzel didn't register the sensation. Then she wiped her face with the sleeve of her dress, put the core back on the table and returned to the main room.

Something about the texture of the apple felt familiar, but she was unable to connect to the memory. Rapunzel sat back down where she had been before and felt the tears flow down her cheeks.

* * *

Eugene was stuck between two of the largest bandits, shoulder to shoulder to shoulder. He wasn't going anywhere they didn't want him to go. They all set off down the path, back towards the kingdom. The bandits were suspicious; that way guards lay.

"You aren't thinking of trying to trick us, are you?" the bandit on his left snarled. Eugene flinched feeling the razor sharp point of a blade between his kidneys. He didn't want to be stabbed again.

"Do I look stupid?" Eugene asked rhetorically. The bandits snorted in amusement. "Look, I'm just following my horse."

He pointed down. Max had left clear hoof-prints. He was great at tracking outlaws, but made it too easy to be tracked himself. Eugene was a little confused when the prints stomped in a circle and seemed to double-back on themselves and he worried that the bandits' patience, already stretched pretty thin, would wear out quickly.

"That way," he pointed off the beaten track. He frowned. Why would Max go that way? It made no sense. Unless he was following someone. Temporarily forgetting about his murderous companions, Eugene set off at a run along the trail. With an angry yell and drawn swords, the bandits gave chase.

* * *

The sun was quite low in the sky when Gothel realised she had gotten lost. She turned in ever more panicked circles to get her bearings.

Pascal was riding Max, following quite closely now, having made up ground quickly. When Gothel stopped moving, the little lizard leapt from Max's head and scampered up a nearby boulder to get a better look at the woman's actions. His shadow was cast by the setting sunlight out onto the ground, and when Gothel caught sight of it, she screamed.

The shadow was elongated and disproportioned. The tiny chameleon became a dragon in Gothel's imagination. Shrieking, she turned, and ran again, not caring that she was travelling still further from the kingdom walls.

Her route took her back along the base of a chalk cliff, her hair now as white-grey as the cliff wall itself. Her thoughts were no longer clear. Her body ached. All she wanted to do was get back to Rapunzel, get a boost – or even two if necessary – from the girl's hair and then get even further away.

Coming from the other direction was Eugene, hotly pursued by the bandit gang. They skidded to a halt when they caught sight of Gothel.

"_That's_ the girl?" the bandit leader grabbed Eugene and spun him round.

"She... I... she..." Eugene stammered, half confused by the vision of the aged Gothel and half afraid that the bandits would be so furious they would just kill him then and there. The bandits gave a collective roar, raising their weapons in the air.

Eugene took the opportunity to run for his life. He met Maximus half way, swinging himself into the saddle in one fluid movement. The bandits were no match for Max's speed. Disgusted and disappointed, they returned to their camp to plan a raid on a nearby village – just to make themselves feel better.

The war cry was the final push on Gothel's nerves. She backed into a cave in the cliff wall, quite failing to notice that the noise had also loosened rocks at the top of the cliff. Rocks that fell, blocking the cave entrance. Gothel was trapped. Her anguished, angry cries soon faded into silence.

Only when he was sure they weren't being followed did Eugene look down and see Pascal holding tight to Max's mane.

"Pascal! Where's Rapunzel!"

Pascal changed his grip to Max's ears and used them to steer the horse in the direction of the cottage. Eugene leapt down and burst through the cottage door, heart pounding.

"Rapunzel!" he cried, and then stopped. She hadn't looked up as he entered the room, hadn't registered his presence at all. "Rapunzel? It's me."

He walked over and gently stroked her hair behind her ear and cupped her chin in his hand.

"We have to get you out of here and back home," Eugene said, softly, carefully.

"I am home," Rapunzel said, woodenly, in a hoarse, croaky voice. And suddenly Eugene was afraid, very afraid, that he'd lost her forever.

"No, no, no. Come on, Rapunzel," he begged, pulling at her arms to get her to stand. She was as limp as a rag doll. He let go instantly when she finally looked into his eyes.

"I am home," she said again. The frightening part was that she said it quietly, without any extra emphasis; it was just another sentence. But for Eugene it was a death sentence. Rapunzel had lost her sunshine; the very thing he had wanted to prevent back in the tower, but hadn't had the strength, had happened. He would've died to save her from this fate; he _should_ have died. But she had saved him.

Eugene had nothing left to offer, nothing else to give. He couldn't bring her back; he couldn't save her. He couldn't bring her back. He had to let her go, to say goodbye. The lost princess would remain lost.

He moved closer, looked deep into those emerald green eyes, and placed one gentle kiss on her lips. She didn't respond; Eugene pulled back and turned away.

Pascal and Max, peering in the cottage window, exchanged sad glances. Pascal turned bluer than he had ever been. Had it all been for nothing?

Eugene couldn't stop the prickling of tears behind his eyes as he reached for the door handle, though he blinked them back, hard. Then he remembered the flag. He took it out of his pocket and carefully laid it flat on the table beside the door.

"Eugene?" came a soft whisper behind him. Eugene did not immediately spin around; he couldn't stand the further heartbreak if it had been just his imagination. Then Pascal jumped onto Max's head in excitement and squeaked. Eugene's breathing quickened. Could it be?

He turned, and was immediately bowled over by a mass of golden hair with a beautiful girl in the centre of it.

"Eugene!"

"Rapunzel!"

It was a moment of pure joy and relief and excitement and love. It lasted moment and it lasted eternity. It took Pascal's tongue to break the two apart from their embrace, flushed and grinning. The sunshine had returned.


	9. Epilogue

Epilogue

Rapunzel rode Max side-saddle, making easier to dismount if she felt nervous about riding. Eugene walked beside them, one hand on Max's bridle. They made it back to the bay, and attracted the attention of a fishing boat.

Lys was deliriously happy to see Maximus again, and almost incoherent to meet a real princess. She couldn't take her eyes off Rapunzel, braiding the long strands over and over again on the journey back across the water.

Rapunzel, for her part, was enchanted by Lys, keeping up with the girl's tangents easily. Eugene relaxed against the side of the boat, on the opposite side to where Max was, unfortunately, being unwell again. He caught Rapunzel's eye, and smiled.

News had travelled ahead of them and the Royal guards were waiting on the bank to greet them. Eugene was instantly on edge, nervous as the guards came aboard to verify that the princess was alive and unharmed. One of the guards turned to Eugene and drew his sword. Eugene held his hands up in surrender, but Maximus immediately stomped between him and the guard, glaring at the man in uniform. The guard was stunned, but decided, wisely, that the horse out-ranked him.

Rapunzel took Eugene's hand, fingers lovingly intertwined with his, as they walked into the palace grounds, and were escorted to a balcony to await a reception with the King and Queen.

"Do you think they'll like me?" Rapunzel whispered. Eugene looked at her.

"They will love you," he reassured her, brushing a strand of golden hair behind her ear. "As do I."

They turned, losing the clasp of their hands, as the door opened behind them.

**fin**

* * *

**A/N - and I'm finishing it there, because it ties neatly back to the original ending of the story. I may come back and do a sequel to this sequel (or even put in a missing chapter!), but for now I need a rest - this entire story has taken less than a week, which is just insane! Please review!**


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